Navatara Chakra

NAVATARA CHAKRA

Navatara, derived from Nava (nine) and Tara (star) is the ordering of the 27 nakshatras in three groups of nine stars each.

Lagna Navatara: ‘Tara’ the goddess of spiritual splendor is the spouse of Brhaspati (Jupiter) and who governs, intelligence (Lagna). The Navatara chakra is drawn starting from the nakshatra occupied by Lagna in the birth chart/prasna and is called Lagna Navatara.

Masa/ Varsha Navatara: Tara was kidnapped by the Moon god Chandra (Soma) on the dark night of amavasya (Krsna 15 tithi). Soma hid inside the plants/ trees during this day and copulated with Tara causing the birth of their illegitimate child Budha (Mercury). On realizing his error, Chandra released Tara at the end of amavasya, the moment called amanta and the chart drawn for this moment is used for all mundane purposes including the Navatara chakra for the year or month.

Janma Navatara: The birth constellation is called Janma Nakshatra and the Navatara chakra down is using the Moon’s constellation as starting point is called Janma Navatara Chakra.

Navatara nomenclature: The nine stars are called (1) Janma (2) Sampat (3) Vipata (4) Ksema (5) Pratyari (6) Sadhaka (7) Vadha (8) Mitra and (9) Atimitra.

(1)    Janma means birth and refers to the self, well being, life and everything that the mind must experience at a personal level or intelligence must act on.

(2)    Sampat means wealth and is derived from sampad, a samskrta word meaning to acquisition, possess, enjoy, benefit, advantage, grow and be a blessing. It gives excellence, glory, beauty and splendor. It brings good fortune, prosperity and riches.

(3)    Vipata means misfortune and calamity. It indicates all kind of troubles, obstacles and hindrances that lead to sorrow and suffering at the material level.

(4)    Ksema means residing, restoring and being at ease, comfortable, shows an overall prosperous disposition, free from disease (it is opposite of being at ease). It brings in spiritual bliss and final emancipation (moksa). It refers to the perfume of sandal. It shows something/ someone very secure and safe and being protected by Durga.

(5)    Pratyari is derived from ‘ari’ meaning enemy and pratyari refers to the well matched enemy equal to the native in all respects and capable of inflicting terrible pain and suffering.

(6)    Sadhaka refers to efficiency and skill introducing accomplishments and abilities. It indicates the productive and fruitive side of everything and brings supporters/ assistants. A Sadhaka is one who does sadhana to attain siddhi.

(7)    Vadha means vanquisher or destroyer. It is killer nakshatra and is also called naidhana Tara. It refers to capital or corporeal punishment and includes slaughter, murder, destruction and death. It causes someone/ thing to disappear. It causes heat and shows defects and imperfections. It is a raksasa (demonical being).

(8)    Mitra means friend and refers to close companions like spouse or an associate. Mitra is an aditya who solemnizes agreements and marriage vows or ties of any kind, including treaties. It brings about blood relationships and refers to all those who stand strong during battle and protect.

(9)    Atimitra shows a superlative form of ‘mitra’ where a spiritual bonding is expressed. It goes beyond normal human ties and is super human in its expression of love indicating something divine. For example if mitra brings glory then atimitra is crowning glory.

 

VIMSOTTARI LORDSHIP OF NAKSATRA

There is various planetary lordship schemes for nakshatra of which, the Vimsottari scheme is universally applicable. The natural Navatara chakra reckoned from the first Asvini nakshatra allocates the lordship of the Navatara to Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury in that order.

Rajiv Gandhi born on 20^th August 1944, 7:11:28 AM IST, Mumbai 72E50 18N58. At the time of birth both Lagna and Moon are in Purva Phalguni Nakshatra showing that Lagna and Janma Navatara chakra are one and the same.

Jupiter and Atmakaraka Mercury gave digbala (directional strength) in Lagna and they are the lords of Sadhaka and Mitra nakshatra (Navatara scheme) promising support, success and fame (Jupiter) and family, friends and great associations (Mercury). The Moon as lord of Vipata nakshatra shows obstacles and reluctance is initially following the path of mother (Moon). Venus as lord of Janma nakshatra is family well placed in Lagna, but is debilitated in Navamsa in mercurial sign, thereby transferring the task of giving ill health or suffering to Mercury. The close conjunction of Moon and Venus generates Vaitanika yoga giving great leadership qualities but it is also Rudra yoga indicating danger from travel or women (Venus) and with Moon shows one who acts as if pregnant. Rahu, lord of Pratyari nakshatra is the worst malefic being a maraka from Lagna in Rasi and Navamsa. It is also strong and vargottama in 12^th house of end of life and secret enemies.

8^th September 1960: Death of father Feroze Jehangir Gandhi: Sun dasa Rahu antardasa. We can see how Rahu has robbed him of the little association he had with father after his parents reconciled in 1958 at the advent of Sun dasa.

27^th May 1964: Death of Grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru: Sun dasa Venus antardasa. Weak Venus involved in Rudra yoga with Moon and is lord of Janma nakshatra.

31^st October 1984: Death of Mother Indira Gandhi: Rahu dasa Jupiter antardasa: The culprit is Rahu the terrible malefic lord of Pratyari nakshatra. Jupiter the lord of Sadhaka nakshatra has directional strength and shows astounding achievements like the parliamentary elections of 1984 where he won with an unheard victory (404 seats in Parliament out of 545). Jupiter as lord of 5^th (power, authority) and 8^th (inheritance) only confirmed inheritance of leadership/ political legacy of mother.

1989 elections: Rahu dasa Saturn antardasa: Saturn as lord of Vadha nakshatra shows terrible enemies belonging to the old order who shall come in garb of friends (Saturn in 11^th house of friends). Amitabh Bachchan and V P Singh were two friends who let him down. V P Singh accused him of corruption (Saturn aspect Lagna) thereby denting his reputation. In the 1989 elections, the lion still roared and Rajiv Gandhi, inspite of the Bofors scandal created by V P Singh, led the congress to be the single largest party (197 out of 545). Yet he allowed the others to form government through strange coalitions: Each of them survived a few months – V P Singh, Devi Lal and Chandra Sekhar all fell to greed. Elections were declared again in 1991.

21^st May 1991: Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi: Rahu dasa Mercury Antardasa Rahu Pratyantara is a classic case of maraka’s (2^nd/ 7^th lord of Leo). Rahu is lord of Pratyari showing infliction by enemies. In the evening of that fateful day, Moon was in Purva Phalguni nakshatra proving that Janma nakshatra can be dangerous. Mercury as lord of Parama Mitra Tara is beneficial showing that Rajiv Gandhi was surely going to win the election, but it carries the energy of Venus (debilitated) and Moon in Virgo Navamsa.

To be continued with more case studies.